Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1887-03-18
COST AND QUANTITY OF AMERICAN SnOE'
ING AND CHEWIkG.


W ASHlNGTON, req. 10, 81.
Whether tobacco is a luxury or
a necessity in our daily economy is
a disputed question, bat, Judging
from the quantity annually con-
sumed, it would seem that tobacco
is very generally used by the peO-
pie of the United States, and that
it must be considered somewhat of
a necessity by no incOnsiderable
portion of them. Those who have
not analysed the figures collected
by the Internal Revenue Depart
ment have no conception of the ex-
tent to which tobacco is used in
this country. Tea is classified as
one of the daily necessities of life
and enters into very general use,
yet compared with the annual con-
sumption of tea that of tobacco
presents very remarkable con.
trast. The importation of tea into
the United States, during the fiscal
year ending June 80, 1886, was So
339, SCI pounds, the apprised value
of which was about Sl6,000,000.-
Assuming that twO-thirds of the
GO,OOO,0O0 people of the United
States are adults and consumers of
tea the consumption per capita
would be about two pounds, and
the per capita expenditure of mon
ey on this account would be about
40 cents.
Compare these figures with those
showing the annual consumption Of
tobacco. During the last fiscal year
the quantity of manufactured to-
bacco upon when tax was paid
was 1S5 ,42G,193 pounds, and, as
tax is not paid until the tobacco is
TO be Withdrawn from bond for con.
sumption, these figures may be as
sumed to represent the quantity
sold and actually used. Snuff and
cigars are not included in these fig
ures, which are confined to manu-
featured tobacco prepared in plug
and packages for chewing aud
smoking. Assuming that the same
proportion of the people use tObac.
co that use tea, it will be found that
the per c0pita consumption of this
article is tour and One.half pounds,
against two pounds of tea. The
amount of tax paid on manufacture
ed tobacco last year was $14, 1885,
O95, a sum nearly equal to the ag-
gregate appraised value of all the
tea imported during that period.
The figures showing the number
of cigars annually consumed are
equally interesting. Cigars upon
which tax was paid last year foot
up 3,51O,S9S,4SS. The average
length of cigars is four inches. III
the cigars upon which tax was paid
last year were laid singly in a row
they would extend around the earth
nine times. In straight line they
would extend 221, GAS miles. Dis.
tributed equally among the entire
population of the United States
each person would receive $50
cigars. fit be assumed that one
half of the population smoke the
per capita consumption was III
cigars.
The consumption of cigarettes
also presents interesting figures
and shows that the percentage of
increase IS greater in cigarettes
than in cigars. Tax was paid last
year on ,3lO,9Gl $50 cigarettes, au
increase of 252,212,112 over the
preceding year, while the increase
in cigars consumed during the same
period was 1j1 ,925, S55. The amount
of tax collected last year Oh cigars
was $40, 500, 804, and on cigarettes
$685., 500. The total amount col
lected during the year on cigars
and tobacco through the Internal
Revenue Department was S27, 9O7,-
1863. In addition to this amount
there was collected through the
custom house for duties on import
ed tobacco and cigars 1881, liz
Adding these two items gives $780,
2lS,4 7G as the aggregate OF the tax
paid last year to the government
for cigars and tobacco, which IS
equal to a tax Of go cents per cdpi-
Ia upon the entire population. It
is within bounds to estimate the
value Of the tobacco and cigars
consumed at four times the amount
Of tie tax. On this basis, adding
the tax, the people of the United
States paid last year for these arti-
Giles s1Sl, O92 $3.50, or more than
three dollars for every man, woman
and child in the country.
The appraised value of all the
coffee imported last year was 49,.
675, 800, and of the tea Sl5, 77O, 1917.
For tax alone on our chewing and
smoking there was expended over
$3G, 000,0 900, and for the articles
themselves, exclusive of tax, about
Sl4j, 100000. These facts and fig.
ures would seem to justify the claim
that tobacco has become to our
people as great a necessary as tea
and coffee.
The London COlIiery Guardian
tells us that American advices state
that a lot of G,0OO tons of English
steel rails has been sold at New
Orleans at about $41 per ton ; also